“It’s been a constant juggling act”

Tie-Dye Drama provides tips for parents on navigating the summer holidays

We get it, holidays are balls of excitement, chaos and stress all rolled into one. In this blog post, Tie-Dye Drama will provide practical tips  to help you navigate a few of the school holiday challenges.

Activity Planning Pressure

The pressure to keep children entertained and engaged can be daunting. There’s a lot of social pressure to plan super fun activities, but constantly organising outings, trips, or costly activities can be financially and mentally draining.

Tip: Prioritise quality over quantity. Plan a few meaningful activities that align with your child's interests and allow for relaxation and downtime. Explore free or low-cost options such as local parks, museums, or community events to keep them engaged.

Sibling Conflicts and Routine Disruptions

With children spending more time together at home, sibling conflicts and disruptions to their usual routine are bound to occur. Managing disagreements, negotiating shared activities, and maintaining some form of structure can be mentally exhausting for parents.

Tip: Set clear expectations and establish a flexible routine during the holidays.. Encourage open communication among siblings and provide them with opportunities for independent play and personal space. Engaging in family activities and setting aside quality one-on-one time with each child can help alleviate tensions and create a positive atmosphere.

The Work Life Balance Struggle

Balancing work commitments with parenting responsibilities becomes even more challenging. Juggling deadlines and meetings while ensuring your children are cared for in a reliable and affordable manner can lead to high levels of stress. It may feel like an uphill battle to meet both professional and parental expectations.

Tip: Communicate with your employer and colleagues in advance about your availability and any necessary adjustments to your work schedule. Consider utilising flexible working arrangements to better accommodate the needs of your children during the half term.

Dramatic Daycare

Tie-Dye Drama is striving to tackle working parents’  holiday challenges through: Dramatic Daycare! If we want to ensure that all parents/carers have the opportunity to participate fully in the workforce, we need to address the lack of affordable, flexible and reliable childcare. Dramatic Daycare is bespoke, on-site childcare for employees’ primary school age children during the school holidays. Once in discussion with the company, Tie-Dye Drama carries out an induction and site-inspection to best plan the childcare package. At the very least, all that is needed within the office space is a conference room type space and access to toilets. Tie-Dye Drama will then liaise with HR leads about potential employees interested and best ascertain groups, dates and times and then go onto plan the themed drama and art activities.

Why the need for onsite childcare?

Many parents struggle to find childcare that is available during the hours they need it. This can make it difficult for parents to find childcare that fits their schedule, and can lead to them having to take time off work or leaving the workforce altogether. On-site childcare would allow parents to drop off and pick up their children whenever convenient, resulting in boosted well-being. Indeed, a Bright Horizons survey of 3,100 parents who had access to on-site facilities showed that they were able to concentrate better at work, were more likely to remain at a job, and could more effectively balance their work and family commitments.  On-site childcare benefits employers, employees and their children. Employees’ well-being is raised, leading to improved employee retention, children receive the care and support they need to thrive and the scheme is a great selling point to attract new employees.

Interested in Dramatic Daycare for your company, or know a working parent/carer who would benefit? Send us a message through our contact form or via email on  hello@tiedyedrama.co.uk

We are the inclusive London drama club!